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Rule 8 - Section 3 - Article 1 - Item 5: Simultaneous Catch. If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.

WATCH AGAIN. read the rule. that was totally not simultaneous since TAINT had no initial control. case closed.

Does the person catching the ball need to get both feet on the ground for it to be ruled a catch or INT? If so, Tate had both hands grasping the ball and both feet on the ground first...

which if the NFL is saying the catch WAS SIMULTANEOUS means jennings had to have control.

The rule says "If a pass is CAUGHT simultaneously", which to me says that it needs to be ruled a catch...which also says to me that both feet need to be down, and not just when the receiver/defender gets both hands on the ball.

The rule says "If a pass is CAUGHT simultaneously", which to me says that it needs to be ruled a catch...which also says to me that both feet need to be down, and not just when the receiver/defender gets both hands on the ball.

agree to disagree on the interpretation of that rule. Glad we arent the refs...lol.

agree to disagree on the interpretation of that rule. Glad we arent the refs...lol.

I think the part of the rule we need to focus on is as follows "It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control." By the time the ball stopped moving forward from Wilson's initial throw, both Tate and Jennings had control. Jennings had firm control with 2 hands. Tate had weak control with the fingers of only his left hand. That said, the NFL rule book does not concern itself with degrees of control. Either you have control or you don't. It doesn't matter who has "more control." If a player is holding the football the fingertip of one hand, he HAS control of the football, albeit weak control. Therefore, because control of the football was obtained by both Tate and Jennings at the virtually the exact same time, it is in my opinion, a simultaneous catch. I invite anyone to challenge my viewpoint, and correct me in the place I have gone wrong. Until then I will remain open to the idea it was a simultaneous catch.